National Archives Exhibition Comes to Ford Museum
Tools use in the Watergate breakin on display at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum
Photo by Charles Pannell
Beginning next month, visitors to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum will be able to see a traveling exhibition which features first-person accounts of historic events. Slated to open on October 5, 2007, “Eyewitness: American Originals from the National Archives” chronicles some of the most dramatic moments in history, from accounts in letters, diaries, photographs and audio and film recordings contained in the National Archives.
Says National Archives curator Stacey Bredhoff, “The instinct to tell what we have seen is as old as humanity. The National Archives is filled with countless stories waiting to be shared. Within them lie embedded messages that enlighten us on what has gone before, and strengthen us for what may lie ahead.”
Many of these artifacts have never been exhibited before, and they offer a fresh and surprising perspective on familiar events. The exhibition will run through January 6, 2008. For more information, visit www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov.
Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum features level access to the front entrance, elevator access to all floors and ample room to wheel around in all of the galleries. Part of the museum focuses on the 38th President’s career, family and military life; however the bulk of it is dedicated to events that occurred just prior to and during his presidency or those that were influenced by his presidency.
The official presidential museum system consists of 12 presidential museums; and in most cases they are located in the former presidents’ home state or in a state where he had close ties or spent the majority of his life. Most of these museums feature excellent wheelchair access. For more details about access, along with an overview of some of the more popular exhibits and artifacts, read Presidential Roundup in the Summer 2007 issue of Emerging Horizons.